Between the lines: an evaluation of the Secured Car Park Award Scheme

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the Home Office (nor do they reflect Government policy). RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Office's purpose is to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained. RDS is also part of National Statistics (NS). One of the aims of NS is to inform Parliament and the citizen about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and performance of government, allowing the impact of government policies and actions to be assessed. Therefore – Research Development and Statistics Directorate exists to improve policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use. Foreword Car parks account for 22% of all vehicle crime and in terms of specific parking locations, cars parked in public car parks are at most risk of theft. The Secured Car Park (SCP) scheme was established by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 1992 to encourage those responsible for car parks to improve security as a means of reducing criminal activity, the fear of crime and the perception of crime in all car parks and vehicle retention areas. This report provides the findings of a national evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the Secured Car Park scheme in reducing vehicle crime. There are currently just over 1,000 car parks with SCP awards (out of an estimated total of 20,000 car parks). The number of car parks in the scheme has grown at a steady rate since the scheme was revised in 1997 though membership is unevenly distributed across the country. While, as a general pattern, those areas with high levels of vehicle crime have relatively more car parks in the scheme, take up has been particularly low in some high-crime urban areas. The report in the first instance describes the history of the SCP scheme and goes on to describe the distribution and awareness of the scheme. An analysis of levels of crime and fear of crime in car parks is described in detail and the cost effectiveness of the scheme is also examined. The report …